People have asked if what happened in Boston will make me scared to run marathons or if I still want to run the Boston Marathon. Of course, I will. Running marathons is a passion of mine and Boston is my dream! I can’t let this horrific tragedy stop me from doing something I love.

Yes, there are bad people in this world but I’d like to think that for every bad person who planted those bombs there were over 20 + people running toward the explosion to help. We can’t allow these bad people bring more hate and negativity into the world.

Show the world that runners stand together. Wear a race shirt or wear Boston blue/yellow in honor of the runners, the victims, and their families.

And for everyone who ran in the Boston Marathon yesterday – congratulations! That is a huge accomplishment and no amount of hate can ever take that away.

Here are a few exercises to point you in the right direction and help you follow your dreams:

• Picture yourself in 10 years. What are you doing? Who are you with? Where are you living? What does a typical day look like? How are you starting and finishing your day? I will be living in an old house in Evanston with my husband and 2-3 kids. I will be  a stay-at-home Mom and very involved in my kids’ lives. I will have a career in health and fitness. I will start my day with exercise and end my day reading in bed with my kids and husband.
• What do you not want? A stressful job where there’s a lot of pressure (I already put too much pressure on myself). Sitting at a desk for 9-10 hours a day. I like routine and structure, but I don’t want to do the exact same thing every. single. day. To be stressed about money. To feel bored and like I’m not making a difference.
• Have you stepped out of your comfort zone and tried something new? I step out of my comfort zone every day at my current job, but I don’t think it’s stepping in the right direction. I want to work in marketing, but I would prefer to work for myself. I’m trying to figure out my next steps.
• What do you do with your free time? See any patterns? Workout, read healthy living blogs, read books about running, self-help, organization, web design, and project management. Spend time outdoors and spend a lot of time with my family.

I’m not exactly sure where I should go from here, but I’m working on it. Taking one step at time and dreaming big.

What’s your dream? Where do you picture yourself in 10 years?

“Follow what you are genuinely passionate about and let that guide you to your destination.” – Diane Sawyer